Chicago’s Home for the Holidays

Created nearly 200 years ago by Katsushika Hokusai as part of a series of prints featuring Tokyo’s iconic Mount Fuji, The Great Wave immediately captured the imaginations of its earliest viewers and has continued to captivate audiences across the world throughout the decades. Don’t miss the rare chance to see this iconic piece in the Andо̄ Gallery.

Explore the world of basketmaking through one of its foremost contemporary practitioners. Jeremy Frey is the descendant of a long line of Passamaquoddy basket weavers and has spent the last 20 years transforming the time-honored tradition into something uniquely—exquisitely—his own.

From its outset, the Pan-African movement called for global solidarity in the struggle for self-determination among peoples of African descent. In the first exhibition to survey the movement's cultural manifestation, explore how the movement shaped a wide range of artistic production spanning the 1920s to now.

Discover the groundbreaking work of Paula Modersohn-Becker in the first American exhibition dedicated to her career. With a distinctive style that foreshadowed Expressionism by 40 years, Modersohn-Becker is remembered as an innovator far ahead of her time.

The 1770s through the 1850s were one of the most turbulent periods in French history. They were also a flourishing time for French culture. Discover how artists drew on an ancient past to reflect on revolution, empire, and Enlightenment in awe-inspiring exhibitions dedicated to the drawings and paintings of that time.

Join us in our galleries of 18th- and 19th- century American art to design a fabulous feast table inspired by the sumptuous decorative objects on view. Participants will explore sketching from life, practicing observation and composition while indulging the imagining of their dream holiday table.

Take some time to breathe this holiday season. This art therapy workshop invites participants to reflect on artworks and a personal item of their own by writing, making a still life, or even crafting a small sculpture to discover how objects can increase a sense of connectedness to the self and the world.

Drop into the galleries for a series of choral performances from Uniting Voices, a youth chorus founded at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement that joins kids across Chicago to celebrate our common humanity and the power of music.

Let museum educator Jeff Nigro guide you through this elaborate Nativity scene from Naples, which includes not only the Holy Family but angels, the Three Wise Men, shepherds and their flocks, livestock, musicians, dancers, peddlers, and many others. 

Percussionist and bandleader Tommy Carroll joins fellow musicians Beau Barry, David Boykin, and Lyn Rye to activate the museum’s Grand Staircase with their unique and powerful combination of musical visions and improvisational sound. 

Sip hot chocolate and celebrate the season with a surprise craft activity designed and led by the Art Institute of Chicago Teen Council. Families and visitors of all ages are welcome.

Looking for a good place to start your visit? Join a knowledgeable guide for a 45-minute tour of museum icons and lesser-known treasures. Tours are also held in Spanish on Fridays and Saturdays from 2:00–2:45 and in ASL on select dates.

With the museum’s new self-guided tour creator, you can design a custom journey through the galleries filled with artworks you love. Add personal notes to each piece, and share it with friends and family! Or, explore some of our pre-made tours to see Ferris Bueller's Art Institute, explore fan favorites, or wander through the dreams of Surrealists.

Hear the stories behind the art with our free mobile app, available for download via the App Store or Google Play. Choose from a variety of tour options, or key in a particular artwork. Just be sure to bring your headphones to listen while you’re at the museum.

Enjoy interactive installations, a multisensory gallery, and exhibition-inspired art making in the museum's hub for learning and curiosity. The Ryan Learning Center is the perfect space to explore your creativity or just enjoy some downtime in a family-friendly space.

Make your very own adventure-filled tour with JourneyMaker, our kid-friendly custom tour builder available in our Ryan Learning Center and from your home computer. Choose from eight different themes—like superheroes and time travel—and dozens of artworks to create a special tour all your own.

Stop next door at Millennium Park to skate at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, see Chicago's "official" Christmas tree, and sing holiday songs alongside Chicago choral groups on Fridays beginning December 6 in front of the Bean.

Guests at Chicago's Marriott Bonvoy hotels are invited to explore the Windy City’s rich art heritage during the holidays with a seasonal package of chef-led dinners and paint-and-sip adventures inspired by iconic works from the Art Institute’s permanent collection.

Save 48% on admission to the Art Institute and 4 other top Chicago attractions with CityPASS. Visit these iconic Chicago spaces in any order over a 9-day period with one single easy-to-order mobile ticket.